


The Pocky Game

by alecsbane



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec stutters, Alternate Universe - Human, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but only when Magnus is playing with his emotions, so he stutters a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 07:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8658577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alecsbane/pseuds/alecsbane
Summary: "You know, Pocky Sticks!" Alec gave him a blank look in response. "Oh, come on, Alexander. Surely you’ve heard of ‘The Pocky Game,’ at least?" He shook his head, still confused.Magnus grinned at his best friend mischievously. "Oh, now we've got to play."





	

**Author's Note:**

> Guys you do not even know how long it took me to finish this.
> 
> I don't even remember when I started it.
> 
> WARNING: a certain flashback may kill you with malec cuteness.

The sun began to set in the brightly colored, cotton candy sky of the city as Alec sat outside on the steps leading up to his loft, reading in his own peaceful quietness. Determined pedestrians sped by him and cars honked brashly as they rode down the street, but the clamor of classic, New York traffic was just white noise to him when he was submerged in text. 

It was getting later into the day, and the busyness of the streets was dying down in spite of the insisted restlessness of the city. He looked up when he heard a car coming down the road, and a small smile painted itself across his face when he recognized it as Magnus’.

The pair lived together in their Brooklyn loft that Magnus had finally found during his persistent, online search for the perfect apartment. They had once made a pact that was unrelenting in keeping them together until the end of time, being not only roommates, but also best friends. From years of going to the same schools, to moving onto their respective colleges that they made sure were close by, adult life was no exception. 

It all started in elementary school, when Alec had broken his arm and Magnus insisted on going to the hospital, refusing to leave until his best friend was released. Despite that being over a decade ago, Alec knew that was a memory from his childhood that he would never forget. 

 

_Alec and Magnus were sitting on top of the wooden fence in the Lightwood’s backyard, legs swinging back and forth as they talked animatedly about going back to school in a week._

_Magnus bounced where he sat as he spoke eagerly. “What class pets do you think we’ll get this year?” Alec shrugged, he was preoccupied with gazing at the clouds, trying to decipher if they felt as fluffy as they appeared to be against the sky._

_“Maybe we’ll get dragons!” Magnus grinned._

_At that, Alec turned to Magnus, fully focusing his attention on him, as he usually did. “Dragons aren’t real, Mags.” He pointed out._

_Magnus threw his hands up in exasperation, “Well, now that I’ve finally got your attention. Why don’t you tell me what pets you think we’re going to get, Mr. Dream-Killer?” The dream killer in question stuck his tongue out at him in petulant resignation, which Magnus playfully returned._

_Alec gazed back up at the clouds thoughtfully, “Hm, maybe we’ll get tadpoles.”_

_“Or maybe butterflies!” Magnus added, smiling happily at the idea._

_Alec continued to ponder, his eyes moving along the smooth edge of the wooden fence they were sitting upon. “Or maybe we’ll get— SPIDER!” He screamed._

_The other boy seemed to actually consider it for a moment as he tilted his head, “You know, I don’t think they’d give those to us—“_

_Alec cried out again as the infernal beast, commonly known as a ‘spider,’ inched towards him, causing him to, ever so graciously, fall off the top of the fence onto the grass several feet below._

_That’s when they heard a crack._

_Magnus looked down behind the fence only to see Alec looking dazed with his arm bent in an unnatural position. “Oh my God, Alec! Are you okay?” Magnus immediately hopped off the fence, landing on his feet, and rushing to his aid._

_Alec was a big brother. He was not allowed to cry hysterically over this, even if his siblings weren’t currently present, he thought to himself. “It’s okay it doesn’t hurt.” Alec insisted, but he looked frightened as his eyes quickly shifted between Magnus and his injury._

_Up close, his arm looked even worse than it did from the top of the fence. Magus just stared for a few moments, horrified at the sight in front of him. Alec’s arm was twisted like silly string, part of his bone protruding out from beneath broken skin, bright red blood staining the sleeve of Alec’s worn-out shirt as it eerily poured from his wounded arm._

_Magnus felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he quickly blinked them away. He needed to help his best friend._

_“Alec, don’t move. I’m gonna get your mom.” The boy made no effort to move as he sat still laying on the grass, softly whimpering as Magnus sprinted into the house to get Maryse._

_He threw open the sliding glass door and surged into her office, something, he would never in a million years do, but he could not find the will to care about anything other than Alec in that moment._

_“Maryse!” He yelled, shaking her out of her working haze._

_Maryse spun around in her swivel chair to glare at him, “Magnus Bane. You know not to just barge in here when I’m working—” She reprimanded._

_“Alec’s hurt, I think he broke his arm! We need to take him to the hospital right now!” Magnus interrupted her. Again, something he would usually never, ever, do._

_Maryse’s vexed expression quickly turned to one of concern, and they rushed out the door together. Maryse called 911, and then Magnus ushered her over to where Alec lied still, in a delirium of pain._

_Alec saw splotches of black, threatening to bring his vision into an unconscious darkness. He heard his mother shouting at him to stay awake, so he tried to latch onto the sound of Magnus’ voice as he argued with his mother about something. Noises of sirens blaring and people surrounding him filled the air, and all he wanted to do was go back to sitting on top of the fence, on top of the world, with Magnus._

_Strangers lifted him up onto a gurney, but he felt a familiar warmed weight in his hand that he recognized as Magnus’ in his. He weakly attempted to squeeze it in reassurance to ease his friend’s worries, but he could not seem to find the energy to do so. He felt himself being raised off the ground, bar Magnus’ firm grip of his hand never wavered, even with the constant movement._

_He was back on solid ground when he heard yelling again, “Maryse, I’m going!”_

_Magnus spoke with a tone that left no room to argument and Maryse could do nothing but stare at him incredulously at how he had just spoken to her. At that point, the only way Magnus would leave the ambulance would be kicking and screaming, so she just sighed in defeat, and told them to start driving. Though, no one seemed to be making a move to leave._

_One of the paramedics could barely look Maryse in the eye as he attempted to mutter out how Magnus was not allowed to be in the back of the ambulance, but she cut him off, exasperatedly rubbing her thumbs in circles over her temples before she turned to him pointedly. “My son is lying helplessly on that gurney because of your so-called ‘protocol,’ when he could be getting a cast in that sterile death trap you call a workplace. So, if you could kindly just let his best friend ride in the ambulance for the roughly five minute ride to the hospital, so that my son can no longer have his bone sticking out of his arm that would be absolutely fantastic.” She added with a cold smile._

_The man wordlessly revved the ambulance to life, and Alec watched as everything faded to black as they drove off to the hospital._

_Alec blinked open his eyes slowly, and was met with sky blue walls and unfamiliar machines next to the uncomfortable bed he was residing in. He went to rub at his eyes groggily and was met with resistance from his arm, casted down from his elbow to his knuckles._

_His other hand was still being occupied by Magnus’ hand, not that he minded._

_Maryse was nowhere to be found. Albeit Magnus was napping, slumped by his bedside in a hard, plastic chair that was probably as painful as it looked. Alec squeezed his hand gently, “Magnus, wake up.” He said softly._

_He stirred, and sluggishly opened his eyes, a small smile growing on his face when he saw his friend. His golden eyes were quickly clouded with anxiety and care when he fully woke. “How are you? Does your arm still hurt? You passed out! If anything were to happen to you—”_

_Alec took Magnus’ hand in both of his squeezing it gently, “Magnus.” He said firmly, though not harshly, “I’m good.” He visibly relaxed in response, so Alec continued. “You know, you didn’t have to come here… It’s just my arm,” Magnus scoffed at that, “And now you’ve missed Project Runway—”_

_Magnus silenced him by hovering a finger up to Alec’s lips, “Alexander. First of all, you are a thousand times more important than Project Runway.” Alec held his casted hand up to his heart dramatically at the compliment, but in truth, the confession warmed his heart. “Besides I always record it anyways.” Magnus smirked, which was promptly knocked off his face by the pillow Alec threw at him, making them dissolve into a fit of laughter._

_After their giggles died down, Magnus’ expression grew serious. “And second of all, I don’t care if you break your pinky, I will always be there.” Alec didn’t know how to properly respond to that, so he just scooted over on his bed and motioned for Magnus to join him, who beamed warmly at Alec, and automatically went to lie down next to him._

_They lied quietly with each other for a few moments before Alec broke the comfortable reticence, “Promise me we’ll always stick together…”_

_Magnus turned to him with a look of pure honesty and resolve. “No matter what.”_

 

That was only one of the many memories Alec cherished of them, for they have been inseparable for as long as he could remember. 

Alec looked back down at his novel, and continued to read when he heard someone walking towards him. Without having to look up, he knew whom the sounds of the graceful footsteps approaching him belonged to. 

"Okay, so remember how I said I needed to go to Walmart to get those—"

"‘Those spongy things you use to blend foundation.’" Alec interjected without looking up from his book. "It's all you've been whining about needing for the past week." 

"Ugh, how rude." He knew Magnus was holding up his hand theatrically to his chest in mock offense. 

Magnus chucked the plastic bag he was holding at Alec, which the boy essentially caught with his face. He finally dragged his eyes from his book to glower at Magnus.

God damnit it's hard to be angry with someone that beautiful. He thought, rolling his eyes at his best friend.

Magnus did indeed look breathtaking in his usual glittery attire and perfect makeup, silhouetted by the setting sun. His eyes were outlined in black and dusted in a sparkly gray that went seamlessly with his clothes. He wore a sheer, black button up with meticulous silver lines running up and down the shirt, paired with deep, burgundy colored pants that sinfully hugged his body in all the right places. His usual random assortment of necklaces lied on the exposed skin by the undone buttons of his shirt. Alec tried and failed to stifle his smile when he saw the arrow necklace that always hung around Magnus' neck despite his constant changing of his necklaces, almost everyday. 

The man gestured for him to open the plastic bag he ever so kindly chucked at Alec's head. "Anyways," he said smoothly. "Before I was so rudely interrupted. I was going to say, while I was venturing through the aisles of Walmart… I found Pocky Sticks!" He exclaimed excitedly. 

Alec found the so-called ‘Pocky Sticks’ as he rummaged through the Walmart bag, and gingerly picked them out. "You found what?" He inspected the colorful box curiously. 

"You know, Pocky Sticks!" Alec gave him a blank look in response. "Oh, come on, Alexander. Surely you’ve heard of ‘The Pocky Game,’ at least?" He shook his head, still confused.

Magnus grinned at his best friend mischievously. "Oh, now we've _got_ to play." He sauntered over to Alec and sat down next to him on the porch steps. 

Alec thought about it for a moment and decided that Magnus would just pout endearingly if he said no and get him to do it anyways, so he figured he was just dealing with the inevitable. He closed his book and deposited it to the side of him, turning his full attention to Magnus, "Okay. Humor me."

Alec most definitely did not think that the way Magnus' face lit up, his golden eyes crinkling slightly as he smiled, was the most adorable thing he had ever seen, no, certainly not. 

He grabbed the box from Alec shaking it excitedly. "Yay! Okay so here's how it works. We take one Pocky Stick and each of us takes one end of the stick into our mouths..." 

Magnus' expression of joy quickly turned into one filled with mirth that Alec recognized all too well.

He narrowed his eyes, "Not a word." Magnus pouted innocently, which Alec returned with an overly knowing look until his friend resigned. 

"Now, continue." Alec smirked in victory. 

Magnus attempted to roll his eyes annoyingly but they were filled with nothing but fondness. " _Anyways_ , we each have one end in our mouths. Then we keep biting the Pocky Stick until we get to the middle. The first one to pull away loses.”

Alec blushed at the sudden realization of the intimacy of the game. Truthfully, he questioned his self-control, “I-uh, um, I don’t know Mags—” 

“Scared you’re gonna lose, Lightwood?” Magnus winked at him, his eyes sparkling in challenge. 

Alec pursed his lips and tilted his head, as he stood up to be at level with the man. He plucked a stick out of the box in Magnus’ hands, putting it in between his lips as he spoke. “You’re going down, Bane.”

Magnus was sure that he should not be this turned on just from Alec holding a Pocky Stick between his plump, cherry lips, but he actually lost the ability to speak for a moment as the man stared him down. 

After giving his best friend one last, not so subtle once over, he pulled Alec down by the shirt so they were both sitting on the steps, and took the other end of the stick, “Game on.” He smirked. 

For what could have been seconds, minutes, maybe hours, they just stared at each other. The space between them was thick with tension as they shared the Pocky Stick, merely inches from each other’s lips. 

Magnus’ eyes were unreadable to Alec, but he could feel the slight uncertainty as his best friend took a bite of the stick. 

And he found himself wondering, yet again, if Magnus had some weird super power that made everything he did look overwhelmingly attractive. 

Alec followed Magnus’ lead, he refused to lose after all, taking a bite of his own, and somehow, the air thickened even more.

The other man’s eyes flickered down to Alec’s lips for a moment and back up to his eyes. He wasn’t sure how this game worked, but Magnus made no move to go, so Alec took another bite.

Magnus quirked his eyebrow at him, _Oh, so that’s how we’re going to play it,_ he thought to himself. The corners of his lips turned up as he took a mocking, painfully slow bite, his eyes daring Alec to even try to attempt winning.

Except, Alec _was_ going to win. He returned Magnus’s bite with one of his own that was much swifter. Before either of them knew it, they were both taking rapid bites until the realization dawned upon them that their faces were approximately one centimeter apart. So close, that if one of them simply exhaled, their lips would touch. 

Their eyes were darting back and forth from each other’s lips to anywhere else other than eye contact, and it could not be helped but to question whether the tension had just blossomed now, or if it had been building up for years. 

Building up over the _years_ , of their friendship when they had been so hopelessly in love with each other, both completely oblivious that it was requited. 

It was an odd look on Magnus, hesitation. Although, It currently resided in his eyes just as much as the sparkling gold of his irises did. Magnus Bane did not hesitate. Ever. He was eccentrically flamboyant and Alec loved him for it, so as to why he seemed wavering, he drew a blank. All he knew was that this was too much. They were too close. Alec should be pulling away, before Magnus inevitably did, and put more cracks in his heart by doing so. 

He had always loved Magnus and he always would. Alec accepted that a long time ago, but he would rather have a section of his heart always aching than lose the man forever. Either way it hurt. Even the small space between them hurt him. He yearned to get closer.

Magnus could practically feel the body heat radiating off of Alec as they sat facing each other, their chests almost touching, as if they were in an embrace. He recalled a point when their bodies were a good space apart, but then again, he found that he was always subconsciously moving towards Alec. And looking at those iniquitously pink lips he could not help but wonder. What if it _had_ meant something all those times he flirted with him, and his best friend had tried to hide his blush? What if he felt something too? Maybe there was a reason he didn’t date as often as Magnus did. Though, Magnus only dated people to try and get Alec out of his head, tried and failed. 

All he wanted to do, as they sat so mind numbingly close, was kiss him. Well, he wanted to do much more than _that_. Still his thoughts all seemed to deserve being labeled as selfish, lustful ponderings; giving himself false hope was not an activity he wished to partake in.

Alec heaved out a breath, “Magnus I…” He snapped his mouth shut at his slipped out words, and Magnus seemed just as surprised as Alec to hear any noise at all after the excruciatingly drawn minutes of silence. His eyes darted back and forth between Magnus’ eyes and back to his lips. He had no idea where he was going with the sentence, what he was even planning on saying to continue it; aside from _I want to kiss you so badly that my chest aches._

It was in that moment, Magnus realized, Alec was looking at him with such vulnerability, that only a selected few were allowed to witness. His hazel eyes swirled with emotion. Emotions that he was sure were emulated in his own eyes, because he knows Alec, his best friend, the love of his life. 

It was that very look, and the way it enveloped him with a tenderness that made him throw all caution, and possibly the sanction of their friendship, to the wind, and take one last, hesitant bite of the Pocky Stick, as his eyes fluttered shut and he slowly brushed their lips together.

 

Alec’s mind was short-circuiting and running a million miles a minute, all at the same time. Magnus was so close to him. Magnus was _kissing_ him. For a few seconds he just remained in disbelieving shock as he continued to try to process the fact that his best friend, who he also happened to be madly in love with, was kissing _him_. That all those years, he had to have felt something for Alec too. 

Though, the state was short-lived because of how the tortuously, slight touch of Magnus’ lips against his ignited him, sending sparks throughout his entire being. Alec was both physically, and mentally incapable of enduring the overwhelming feeling from the stillness of the soft touch of their lips anymore, so he tentatively cupped the nape of Magnus’ neck with his hands, and deepened the kiss. The Pocky Stick long forgotten. 

 

Magnus was afraid he over-stepped, and was on the verge of pulling away to apologize profusely, but Alec was kissing him _back_. Even after all those years of knowing him, of loving him, his best friend never ceased to amaze him. Alexander gripped his neck with the carefulness as if he was holding fine china; Magnus wrapped his arms around him at the thought, eliminating the tiny space between their bodies. He lightly nibbled on his bottom lip and Alec returned the favor before he gently swiped his tongue along Magnus’ lips. He blithely opened his mouth for Alec, still able to taste the sweet chocolate of the Pocky Stick. Their tongues moved together in a slow dance that made it feel as if the pair had been kissing on their front steps for years. Their mouths moving together in perfect synchronization that could only come from knowing each other so well. It was unrushed, but passionate, much like the build up of their relationship. 

Their lips disconnected solely because of the requisite need for oxygen, though neither one of them made a move disentangle from each other. 

Alec spoke first, “So, that was um…” he just swallowed, but Magnus understood. He always did.

“Yeah.” He breathed out in agreement. 

A pin dropping on the ground could be heard over the silence that followed.

Of course it was expeditiously broken when Magnus grinned, Alec smiled sheepishly, and they started laughing tumultuously together, alleviating a modicum of the tension. Magnus’ head was tilted back just a tad as he chuckled with a beautifully wide smile, sprouted on his slightly swollen lips. This time, when he gazed upon him with a longing that he usually repressed, Alec allowed himself to kiss him. 

Magnus’ grin grew even wider as he smiled into the kiss, eagerly returning the touch.

Once they parted again, Magnus giggled, and it was quite possibly the cutest sound Alec has ever heard. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

Alec kissed him deeply, before pulling back with a smirk playing on his lips. “Oh, I think _I_ do.” Magnus beamed back at him, and further leaned into Alec.

Nothing could better exemplify the way time stopped in their little universe than Alec’s arms lazily wrapped around Magnus’ neck as the latter dotingly held his best friend, subconsciously rubbing meaningless patterns along the small of his back.

“What now?” Alec blurted out.

Magnus opened his mouth to respond but was expeditiously cut off by the other man as he went on despite his inquiry, “Because I, uh don’t know about you— which is weird because when do I not know _anything_ about you I mean we’re best friends and I don’t want things to change…” Magnus’ smile faltered. “No, I mean, that came out wrong. I- what I am trying to say is… I _care_ about you.” He let out a huff at his difficulty to express his thoughts, before he got a look of pure determination on his face, “I care about you, you’re my best friend, and I don’t ever want that to change, but I have always had feelings for you and… I want this,” he gestured between the two of them. “I want you, Mags…” His eyes were painfully earnest, “Not just as my best friend.” 

Magnus gripped Alec’s face firmly in his hands but still with a softness that displayed how he felt about his best friend, “Alec, I want this too. All of it. Best friends. Boyfriends. You, me, us. I’ve always wanted this,” he lightly squeezed his cheeks making him grin lopsidedly at Magnus as he continued to caress his cheeks, “I’ve always wanted you.” He whispered weakly. 

They met each other half way in an ephemeral, lock of their lips churning with love and affections.

When they pulled away, resting their forwards against each other’s, Magnus spoke again, “So to answer your question: Now, we make up for lost time… Boyfriend.” He grinned brilliantly, and filled with mischief in a way that fully embodied the man himself. Alec was sure his eyes were creasing from how hard he was smiling in return. 

Alec’s breath ghosted on Magnus’ lips as he grinned, “I like the sound of that,” He said, before bringing their lips together once again.

The crystal stars were twinkling in the now void of the city’s night sky, and the moon at its full, combining with the faint porch lights, casted a spotlight on Magnus and Alec. They sat so close together that any stranger, from miles away, could easily tell that they were hopelessly in love. The two were exultant in each other’s arms as they once were when they lied in the hospital bed together before they even knew what love was. With Alec was leaning up against the rail of the stairs, and Magnus leaning against him. Unsure how long they just rested there, taking advantage of the starry sky, mapping out the constellations and whispering their names like precious secrets to one another. The chill of the night was unable to touch them in the warmth they created together. 

A shooting star made its way across the sky.

Magnus nudged his boyfriend impishly, “Is this the part where you say ‘What did you wish for;’ and I say ‘I have everything I could ever wish for?’” 

Alec looked up at the sky, “Well, I don’t know about you, but there’s many things I’d wish for. A million dollars, maybe a new bow…” Magnus slapped him on the arm and Alec burst out laughing.

“Oh, come on. I know you love me.” Magnus poked him in the side as he chuckled.

“I do.” Alec said, he didn’t know if he had even meant to say it, Magnus was joking, he knew that, but admitting it aloud no longer seemed as daunting as it did before. The idea of confessing what he had felt, of which had been caged for years, seemed more welcoming than it had in the past, even if no less scary. 

Magnus stopped laughing, and was looking at him in such a way that made Alec feel like he was going to explode but that also seemed capable of holding him together for the rest of his life. “I love you,” he stated, unwavering, “Magnus Bane.” 

Magnus eyes widened slightly, “And I love you,” He said automatically in response, “Alec Lightwood.” The declaration was not boisterous, nor was it extravagant; still, it was perfect. It was just them, that was all that mattered. 

The star had long gone and faded across the sky. It was an odd sight, for New York. In a place so populated and polluted, usually helicopters were mistaken for the sky’s balls of rock and dust. Albeit that night was like no other, Alec played a game that he still did not understand the point of, though still found himself grateful for it. He discovered that the love of his life, his best friend, loved him too, which left him physically incapable of relenting his mouth’s turning up at the corners. He wished there was some way to express it, exactly how remarkably Magnus made him feel. Although he had never been a man of words, but a man of action, so he felt contented in simply reaching behind Magnus and grabbing their box of discarded Pocky Sticks.

He grinned at Magnus; this time, it was wholeheartedly, “Round two?”

**Author's Note:**

> It's nice to finally post this and to be somewhat pleased with the result, but I'd love if you guys (I use this term neutrally) left feedback or any of your favorite parts. 
> 
> ((:
> 
> Say hi to me on my [tumblr](http://liightbanes.tumblr.com)  
> or on my [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lightbanes/)
> 
> Kudos & Bookmarks fuel me, so insomniac to insomniac, help a brother out.
> 
> Thanks for reading, and hope my fellow celebrators had a happy Thanksgiving !!!
> 
> -Jess


End file.
